Winch construction



March 20, 1951 N. GABEI.

WINCH CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Shea?l l Filed Jan. 22, 1948 INVENTVOR N/ L5 G A BEL TORNEY March 20, 1951 V N @ABEL 2,545,613

WINCH CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 22, 1948 2 Sheets-Shea?. 2

- INVEN-roR 30 N/Ls GAL-L A ORNEY Patented Mar. 20, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Nils Gabel, Stockholm, Sweden Application January 22, 1948, Serial No. 3,692

This inventionV relates to an improved, manually operated winch which, while adaptable for many uses, is particularly suitable for expeditiously adjusting the stays of racing boat masts and the like.

Heretofore the operation of ladjusting the mast stays has been carried out by hand'. Since timeis `of the essence during a raceland-since speed and expeditiousness in manipulation-of the boat may determine the difference between a victory and a defeat in the final outcomepit is highly advantageous to have an easy and' rapid method of adjusting the mast stays.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a winch which may/.H converriently mounted in pairs in the cockpit. or at thef'helm of the boat, one winch controlling the starboard backstay and the other winchJcontrolling the port backstay. y

Another object of the invention is theprovision of a Winch having a base support carrying a winding drumY freely rotatable thereon, a; unidiectionally rotatable -wheel element Aand-means for rapidly engaging and disengaging the wheel element from the freely rotatablewindi I drum for alternately tightening vand slacken `the stay or cable fixed to said winding drum as required. Y

The foregoing objects as well as additional objects and advantages of the invention will/be l fel* d embodiments of the invention and Whereinitd,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a winch embodying the features of the invention, parts being broken away for the sake of clarity;

Fig. -2 is a vertical sectional View taken along lines 2-2 of Fig. l; Y

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of an alternative rform of winch, the hub being partly broken away to reveal internal structure;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of Fig: 4 and showing the apertured top flange of the winding drum.

.Y Referring first to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. `1 and 2the winch is 6 Claims. (Cl. 254-150) shown as comprising a base support I0 having a .central shaft portion,l IVI upon which a winding fully described hereinafter. VShaft II is provided with an upper mounting flange I4 for retaining a control wheel I5 thereupon, said mounting flange being secured by means of a screw or in any other suitable manner.

Control wheel I5 may be formed with anouter rim IE, radial spokes I1 and a hub I8 having an enlarged collar portion I9 defining a recess for the reception of mounting flange I4 of shaft II.

Means is provided for preventing the rotation of control wheel I5 except in a clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 1. This latter means may conveniently take the form of a pair of braking elements 20 pivotally secured to the mounting flange I4 by means of pivot pins 2I, each of said braking/elements having an outer cam-braking surface 20a arranged to abut the inner wall vof the collar portion I9 of the hub I8 and exert a wedging action to prevent counter clockwise rotation or recoiling of control Wheel I5.

The inner end of each braking element 20 is preferably provided with a lug 22 vand a coil springn2`3 interconnects said lugs tojnormally urge the cam-braking surface 20a of each braking element 20 outwardly against theifnner wall of the collar portion I9 of the control ,wheel I5.

yClockwise rotation of said control wheel is permitted by the slight pivotal movement, of braking elements 20 about pivots 2 I, cam surfaces 20a slipping against the inner wall of the collar portion I9 as the Wheel I5 is turned. Manipulation of wheel I5 may be facilitated by means of a handle I6a suitably mounted on rim IE,

It is necessary to provide means for engaging and disengagingthe unidirectionally rotatable wheel I5 with the freely rotatable winding drum I2 for alternately tightening and slackening the stay or cable (not shown) secured to said winding drum. This means may take the form of a lever 24 pivoted betweenr a pair of upstanding lugs 25 on the wheel spoke I'l and extending downwardly through a slot (not shown) in spoke I'I for a sufficient distance to enter between an adjacent pair of teeth I3 on winding drum I2. Lever 24 is preferably provided with an upper handle portion 24a by means of which said lever may be manipulated into and out of engagement between any adjacent pair of teeth I3 for alternately engaging and disengaging winding drum I2V with the unidirectionally rotatable control wheelIS. 'A toggle linkage 26 may be secured to lever 24 for retaining said lever in its effective in and out positions.

It will be understood that one end of the stay or cable is secured in any preferred manner to 3 4 the winding drum l2. When it is desired to central slot extending downwardly from' the top tighten the stay or cable, lever 24 is brought into surface thereof and is further provided with a engagement between an adjacent pair of teeth hollow bore for the reception of a spring- 5|, the I3 on winding drum I2 whereupon both wheel I5 upper end of which rests against a bridge piece and said winding drum may be rotated in a 5 50. Cam lever 49 is pivoted at 52 to the plunger clockwise direction to tighten the stay or cable to 48 and when said lever is raised, the low point of any desired extent, the wedging action of brakthe cam abuts against the top of bridge piece 50, ing elements 20 within the collar portion i8 of allowing the plunger 48 to enter one of the the hub* I*S'svervirigjtlo1 prevent-counter clockwise y apertures 34. On the other hand when cam lever rotation' `of the wheall anduwinling of-tl'e 10"*'49 is lwi'edplnger liisietactd todisengage cable. On the other hand, when it is desired to wheel 39 from operative connection with winding slacken the stay or cable, lever 24 is disengaged" 'drum 32.

from between an adjacent pair of teethl i3 Qn v While the winch of the invention has been dedrum l2 by depressing handle portion Mttlft edriie'til-in'ieonneetion with its application te the by restoring Said drum to its freely rotatable' 15k .adjustment of the mast stays of a racing boat or condition and allowing the cable or stay to the like, it is obvious that it is capable of many loosen thereupon. otleifajpplications The Wmoh may be Secured to the oolipit walk A, since certain modineations may be made in the 01 adjcent the helm Qf the boat by means 0f winch of the invention without departing from piollllnghples l0@ mtas@ support l0 Orinam' 20 the lseepe thereof, it ie'intepded that en metter lA winch comprisingla vbase'vlf'iaviiga'central Pall 0f Wmche mas! il?? ,WW/Sgm? Ly; ,poqfploneti shaft portion; a windingfdriirn freelyfrtatabl'l upon said shaftl portion, a disc-having an annular groove therewithin 4fixed-tothe end #of said s hat portion, a Vcontrol wheel unidirectionally' rotatable Aupon said dise-and having an openf-bottomedhiib, arms pivoted to lsainthubrandwbeing partially. retained withinl said groove,,aespring'normally urging yeach Lof sai-d arms 4towards"saidgroove, each of said larms having a cam surface abutting :said groove for. Wedging 'action ltopreventl counterou'td rotation 'offsaidfwheelrsaidwinding drumehaving t'tii'eeiu df t'rfesiif'tfsl eisiby'ea si'efpiiis'a a. upper ngepfovdedww "@fsfeles-0f-1pad and street 'as e'eiri titi-leerse"eemptieieee 4o aleftufes .and'areifaiable'Pmtlgei 'Gamed' by 40;; 1haa-.--l Ei-ieg irca'eae said wheel and-insertable' withinV one of said f if f-"' apertures,- iwhereby'toselectively1engage anddisengage '-said winding f' ydrl'ririi -frbn`r operative*con nec'tion with said 'contrlwheel- 2'. -A'w'i'noh'"coriprisngfabaise":havingl'acentral ln'xedshetft .vp-erti; a wiiicii'ngvdruin l-fre'eiy '"rotatablefupoi `sailfsliaftprtion, aoontro'l' wheel'unidirectionally rotatable upon said shaft p'o'rti'on andliavitiga lhule 'portion-Idenniiigfatretesbef vttve'en said hub arid said shaft; l pivotef braking eiernnts disp s'ied in VAsaid-red a? Spiir'ig:v nembeiffetl 'retaining 'seid-drente rement@ `within "sa-'id recess, each Aof Vsai" 'braking er carried by said wheel and selectively insertable within one of said apertures.

5. A winch comprising a base having a fixed central shaft, a winding drum freely rotatable upon said shaft, a disc having an annular groove therewithin fixed to the end of said shaft, a control Wheel unidirectionally rotatable upon said disc and having a recessed hub, spring-urged arms pivoted to said hub and slidably retained within said groove during the said unidirectional rotation of said control wheel, each of said arms having a cam surface abutting said groove for wedging action to prevent counter-rotation of said wheel, and releasable locking means cooperating between said control wheel and said winding drum for selectively engaging and disengaging said winding drum from operative connection with said control wheel.

6. A winch comprising a base having a fixed central shaft, a winding drum freely rotatable upon said shaft, a disc having an annular groove h therewithin fixed to the end of said shaft, a control wheel unidirectionally rotatable upon said disc and having a recessed hub, spring-urged whereby to selectively engage and disengage said Winding drum from operative connection with said control wheel.

NILS GABEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 90,182 Michaels et al. May 18, 1869 875,336" Evans Dec. 31, 1907 1,487,498 Whistlecroft et al. Mar. 18, 1924 

